Pretty. Odd. - Panic at the Disco

Pretty. Odd. Cover

Panic at the Disco band members (left to right): Brendon Urie - Vocals/Rhythym Guitar/Keyboards, Ryan Ross - Lead Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals, Johnathan Walker - Bass Guitar/Vocals, Spencer Smith - Drums/Percussion

Genre: Rock/Big Beat/Techno

Track Listing:

1. We're So Starving

2. Nine In the Afternoon

3. She's a Handsome Woman

4. Do You Know What I'm Seeing?

5. That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)

6. I Have Friends In Holy Spaces

7. Northern Downpour

8. When The Day Met The Night

9. Pas de Cheval

10. The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know

11. Behind The Sea

12. Folkin' Around

13. She Had The World

14. From a Mountain In The Middle of the Cabbins

15. Mad as Rabbits

Band History/Record Info:

Pretty. Odd. is the second studio album by the band Panic at the Disco, released on the record label Fueled by Ramen. The first single from the album is "Nine in the Afternoon". The second single released as a digital single was "Mad as Rabbits" (released as a digital single on iTunes), although this was not really a radio single, a video was made (clips of the filming of "That Green Gentleman" were used). The third single is "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)". The fourth single is "Northern Downpour."
This album is different from their debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, as many songs have the titles as lyrics. In A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, the majority of the titles of songs were from books and movies. The album also features songs where Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross both contribute the lead vocal roles. It is heavily influenced by the music of The Beatles.
It has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and spent 18 weeks on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album is a departure from the sound on their previous album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.

My Review:

When I first bought this album the day it came out, I was in Chicago. When I looked at the cover and had recently watched the 30 second clip showing part of their newest video at that time "Nine In the Afternoon", I knew that this album was going to be somewhat different to their previous "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out", but it proved me wrong, it was WAY different from their previous album. Just by listening to the first track "We're So Starving", I knew Panic! was no longer being based off of a techno sound, it was now more based of a very heavy Beatles influence. It startled me really, to go from a big dance/techno sound to more of an acoustic old sounding rock. Don't get me wrong, the album is definetly amazing and worth listening to, but it definetly tells you that the guys in Panic! are becoming more themselves and reaching down to the main influences that really makes their taste in music, well, their taste in music. In this record they changed their style, and music, but it still shows that they are still Panic! I personally thought the album was just as amazing as the first, it was a great comeback, but I can understand how fans of the band were disappointed since it was a huge genre change from going from techno to beatles in just a few years. My favorite thing about this album is that more band members are featured performing other instruments and also other band members taking the lead vocals from Urie and taking the lead. Ryan Ross himself takes the lead vocal away from Brendon Urie in the song "Behind The Sea". Also many members pitched in lyrics instead of just a few. My favorite song on the album is "Do You Know What I'm Seeing?". It definetly has a melody that you can just float along to and the lyrics definetly make you think, and you realize that this song can definetly relate to you in ways that you never really thought. This is what I mostly like about this band personally, the lyrics make you think in ways that most songs don't. Also that this band features a lot of instruments that many bands don't, which makes their sound unique and unlike the rest. All I gotta say is, you have to check out this band just to realize how different and interesting they are, especially by comparing their two albums together, it'll really suprise you that they are the same band.

Keep Rocking.

Elizabeth

Alesana - Try This With Your Eyes Closed

Original Release as and EP in 2005 cover

Re-release cover in 2008

Band Members in this album: Dennis Lee - Vocals, Shawn Milke - Vocals/Guitar/Piano, Patrick Thompson - Guitar, Adam Ferguson - Guitar/Vocals, Jeremy Bryan - Drums

Current Band Members: Dennis Lee - Screaming Vocals, Shawn Milke - Vocals/Guitar/Piano, Patrick Thompson - Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals, Jeremy Bryan - Drums, Shane Crump - Bass Guitar/Vocals, Jake Campbell - Rhythm Guitar

Genre: Screamo/Rock

Track Listing:

1. Apology

2. Endings Without Stories

3. And They Call This Tragedy

4. Not A Single Word About This

5. Red and Dying Evening

6. Congratulations, I Hate You

7. Early Mourning

8. Goodbye, Goodnight, For Good

10. Beautiful In Blue

"Try This With Your Eyes Closed is Alesana before we were truly Alesana. It was even before we were blessed with Adam and Jeremy in the band. It was our beginning. Patrick, Dennis, and I knew we had something special: it was just a matter of putting the pieces toghether properly. As I listen through this recored I smile a lot because I immediately am swept back into the tiny storage unit at Morningstar Storage where we began writing and first became a band, a family."

- Shawn Mike of Alesana (quote from the inside cover of the re-release version)

Record info/ Band history:

Although the band's members first began playing together in Baltimore, Maryland, the band officially formed in October 2004 in Raleigh, North Carolina, by Shawn Milke, Patrick Thompson, Dennis Lee, Steven Tomany and Daniel Magnuson. The name of the band was directly derived from Alice-anna St. which they lived on when playing in Baltimore, MD. Alice-anna St.(Alesana) is located in Fells Point, a neighborhood in Baltimore. Alesana was the first band to join Tragic Hero Records in 2005, and they 3 demo version songs called "Apology", "Beautiful in Blue" and "Goodbye, Goodnight for Good" was featured on a compilation All The Tragedy Money Can't Buy. Later they released their debut EP, Try This With Your Eyes Closed, in June of that year. They toured in the United States, including an appearance at the Cornerstone Festival. In the same year Daniel Magnuson was replaced by Will Anderson.

Since Try This With Your Eyes Closed, Alesana has also released two other successful albums entitled: On Frail Wings Of Vanity And Wax (2006), and Where Myth Fades To Legend (2008).

Review:

I personally first heard about Alesana from watching the TV channel Fuse (which I highly recommend watching since they ACTUALLY play music), but really got into them once my friend Lindsey started listening to them and got me "Try This With Your Eyes Closed" for my 15th birthday this year. I gotta say, so far I am HOOKED on this record. Since it is their first acutally release, you can really feel the drive that this band feels to become successful. Compared to their newer albums this album I think is the best at really showing who Alesana is and why they are here doing what they do today. Every single song is unique, different sounding, and keeps you anxious for more. I recommend this band and album to those of you who listen to screamo, but prefer it to be mixed along with other vocal styles as well instead of just screaming throughout the whole song. Alesana is definetly a band to check out by all means, even if you aren't a fan of screamo.

Currently my favorite songs on the album are Apology, Endings Without Stories, and Chongratulations,I Hate You. Apology is the first track of the album and comes in with a soft beginning, then suddenly out of know where blows you in the face. That is one thing that I love about this song, along with the meaning and style. Dennis Lee has a wonderful singing voice, along with Shawn Mike, and this song definetly shows it. This song is definetly worth listening to if you are just starting to listen to Alesana. Endings Without Stories is a song that just keeps you rocking throughout the whole thing. This is the first song that Alesana ever wrote, and honestly, I think it is one of their very best. The chorus is one that you'll have repeating inside your head over and over agin. Congratulations, I Hate You has a beginning that you don't really hear from most screamo bands, a piano into played by none other than Shawn Mike himself. This song shows just how many talents that Alesana has and how they stay true to their sound and their music. This song is one that I can't stop listening to over and over again and I love how they go from softer sounding to intantly kicking you in the face again. There is no stopping Alesana.

Those of you who are listeners of Alesana and have heard this record feel free to post your own reviews in the comments. I'd love to hear them!

Keep Rocking,

Elizabeth

Just starting out.

Hey! If you just visited this blog I'll tell you a little about myself and what this blog is going to be about. My name is Elizabeth Wolford and I am 15 years old an am currently a freshmen in high school and have a HUGE passion for music. I play violin (5 1/2 years), flute (4 years), and guitar (2 years). I dream of becoming a guitarist in a rock band in the future, or if that doesn't work out, I'm thinking of getting a degree in Music Technology and becoming a record producer. As you can basically tell already, my life is fully centered around my passion for music. I mostly listen to alternative rock, metal, screamo, classic rock, and all sorts of music. Once I start updating my blog more on album reviews, you will see how my taste in music isn't all just centered on one genre. I love listening to music and discovering new bands and artists, so if you have a band that you suggest that I should start listening to... just comment the blog and I'll get right to it and may even post a review on them. My two all time favorite bands are My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold. I have a lot of other favorite bands too, but those two bands are the bands that have influenced me in my music, and the bands that I follow the most and am most excited hearing about. No, I haven't seen any bands live since my parents think that I am still too "young", but this summer I am planning on attending the Warped Tour and also planning on seeing both A7X and MCR live!! So... enough about me, onto why I created this blog on the first place.

This is a blog where I will be posting band and album reviews with my opinions on them, and also where music lovers everywhere and people who are anxious to hear new music, can even share their reviews on certain bands an albums. Yes, I will be both blogging with criticism and good remarks, so you will see good, honest, real reviews of what I have been listening to. Also I will even post other things along with reviews if I think that many of the viewers on this blog would apprecitate reading about it.

Well, thanks for visiting and come back soon!!
Elizabeth